Football Headline

A number
of Gator football players were recognized Thursday as preseason All-SEC and
All-America candidates, released by Phil Steele’s 2010 College Football
Preview. Seniors Mike Pouncey (Lakeland, Fla.) and Carl Johnson (Durham, N.C.), as well as junior Will Hill (West Orange, N.J.) highlighted the
preseason All-SEC teams as first team selections, Pouncey at center, Johnson at
offensive guard and Hill at safety. In addition to the first team trio, 12
other Gators garnered All-SEC status by Steele, including five second team
defensive selections and five third team offensive picks.

In
addition to its preseason All-SEC selections, four Florida football players
were additionally on Phil Steele preseason All-America lists, including Pouncey
and Johnson, who were tabbed as third team All-America players. Junior
cornerback Janoris Jenkins (Pahokee, Fla.) and Gator punter Chas
Henry (Dallas, Ga.) were both projected fourth team All-America selections.

Both
Pouncey and Henry, rising senior leaders, have been mainstays on the 2010 college
football preseason All-America lists after appearing on the Lindy’sFootball
Preview preseason All-America list and as NationalChamps.net preseason
All-America picks.

Pouncey
was tabbed an Outland Trophy Watch List candidate in 2009 and finished the
season with AP Second Team All-America honors. The offensive lineman has
started 28 straight games for the Orange and Blue, 31 total, and has seen
action in 39 games as a Gator.

Henry, a
2008 semifinalist and 2009 finalist for the Ray Guy Award, presented annually
to the nation’s top punter by The Greater Augusta (GA) Sports Council, has been
a standout special teams player for the Gators during his three-year tenure in Gainesville. Only three of Henry’s punts in 2009 were returned for positive yards (21
yards total), while 15 landed inside the 20-yard line. Henry booted eight
50-plus yards and the Gators allowed zero punt return yards in 12 of 14 games.
Additionally, Henry set an SEC Championship Game record with an average of 48.8
yards on four punts vs. Alabama in 2009, hitting two for over 50 yards.

The Gators
open the 2010 season Sept. 4 in Gainesville versus Miami (OH).